Software · head to head
Octane Render vs Redshift
Redshift
Software
World's first fully GPU-accelerated biased renderer
- From
- $29/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Octane Render studio+ is limited to 10 render nodes by default; Redshift redshift is sold only as part of the Maxon One subscription bundle (via the Maxon App, 14-day free trial), with no standalone perpetual license offered on the vendor page
- They diverge on capability: Octane Render covers Unbiased rendering, Redshift covers Out-of-core rendering.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Octane Render and Redshift actually diverge.
| Attribute | Octane Render | Redshift |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2008 | 2014 |
Identical on both: starting price ($29/month), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Windows, MacOS, Linux), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Octane Render
- Unbiased rendering
- Out-of-core geometry
- AI denoising
- Network rendering
- Unity
- Unreal
- Cloud licensing
Only in Redshift
- Out-of-core rendering
- Proxy system
- AOVs
- Motion blur
- Production shading
- Houdini
- Maxon account
- Floating licenses
Both cover
- GPU rendering
- Blender
- Maya
- Cinema 4D
- 3ds Max
- Windows support
- MacOS support
- Linux support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Octane Render
- GPU accelerated unbiased rendering from Blender, Cinema 4D, Maya or Houdininot Redshift
- Network rendering across multiple GPU nodesnot Redshift
- Producing photoreal stills and animation for product and archviz worknot Redshift
Redshift
- Production renderingnot Octane Render
- Motion graphicsnot Octane Render
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Octane Render
- Studio+ is limited to 10 render nodes by default
- Monthly billing costs 23.95 euro per month against 19.99 euro per month on the yearly plan
- Offline USB dongle support is restricted to annual subscriptions and the dongle costs an extra 49 euro
- The offline dongle must be updated every 4 months and blocks access to cloud features
- There is no free tier, only a demo version
- OctaneRender is GPU only, so hardware compatibility must be tested before purchase
Redshift
- Redshift is sold only as part of the Maxon One subscription bundle (via the Maxon App, 14-day free trial), with no standalone perpetual license offered on the vendor page
Pricing, plan by plan
Octane Render
$29/month- Prime$19.99/month
- 1 GPU
- Studio$39.99/month
- 2 GPUs
Redshift
$29/month- Redshift$45/month
- Full GPU rendering
- Maxon One$149.91/month
- Redshift + C4D + ZBrush
Which should you pick?
Choose Octane Render if
- You need unbiased rendering.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want out-of-core geometry.
Choose Redshift if
- You need out-of-core rendering.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want proxy system.
Questions people ask
- Is Octane Render or Redshift better?
- Neither clearly leads. Octane Render starts at $29/month and Redshift at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Octane Render or Redshift?
- Octane Render starts at $29/month and Redshift at $29/month.
- Does Octane Render or Redshift run on more platforms?
- Both run on Windows, MacOS, Linux, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- What is Octane Render best used for?
- Octane Render is most often used for gpu accelerated unbiased rendering from blender, cinema 4d, maya or houdini, network rendering across multiple gpu nodes, producing photoreal stills and animation for product and archviz work. Of those, gpu accelerated unbiased rendering from blender, cinema 4d, maya or houdini and network rendering across multiple gpu nodes are not what Redshift is typically brought in for.
- What can Octane Render do that Redshift cannot?
- Octane Render covers Unbiased rendering, Out-of-core geometry, AI denoising, Network rendering. Redshift covers Out-of-core rendering, Proxy system, AOVs, Motion blur. Both handle GPU rendering, Blender, Maya, Cinema 4D.